Ms. Taylor –
Think of titles for lessons in the unit.
The Secret Life of Bees
Pre-assessment – feelings about nature, about bees. Is anyone allergic to bees? Has anyone ever been around beehives?
Findings from homework
Discussion of beekeeping
Discuss unlikely relationships
Importance of Queen Bee
Look at relationships in novel, make connections from beginning quote to each chapter.
Show film about how honey is created – process of making honeys
Title: Why is it called The Secret Life Of Bees. Her life is secret, at first, and then she blossoms. She can be considered a bee, she’s working to find her place in life.
Big Ideas
Importance of bees, relationship of humans and bees, and relationships among the characters. Interdependence of humans and bees, among humans.
Empowerment based upon relationships – bees are social animals, humans are social animals
Understandings. Knowledge of environment – importance of taking care of earth. Appreciation of the special role that bees have in our lives.
Misunderstandings. Bees are dangerous.
Pre-assessment lesson: Secret Life of Bees
Bees
Black Madonna
Four Little Angels – 4 girls killed in church
Civil Rights Workers
Homework 5/6: Career Connection - Research Beekeeping
Future Discussions
Friendships formed with people they wouldn’t ordinarily make.
Lily and older black woman
Self-esteem issue – gains her self-esteem after she moves in
Race issue
Environmental Connections
Every chapter begins with a quote about bees.
Before reading chapter – will research particular quote.
How does the quote correlate with the characters in the novel?
Relationship between man and nature
Structure of our society, compared to the structure of the bee’s society.
Do you talk about society when you talk about animals?
Rural vs urban environment – assumptions about people from different backgrounds.
“I do think this will help the students understand the importance of bees, the role of insects in the environment. We see them as pests, but there is a reason for their existence.”
Revisiting the NYCDOE Acuity - “Swarming the Hive.”s
Career Connections – Roles
How do the roles in the 50s differ from today?
Bee-keeping
Minister
Police officer
Lawyer
Is beekeeping different today from how it was in the 1950s?
How do the characters’ careers differ from these careers today?
Assessment - Performance Tasks
Homework – essays on bees, roles of bees
Project – pollination, relationship between queen bees
Compare and contrast human society and bee society
Roll of bees in nature
Oral presentations, written, powerpoint –
What did new understanding about nature, about relationships
Quizzes
Magazine of information about bees.